Education in the Philippines Essay

In psychology, a drive theory or drive doctrine   is a theory that attempts to define, analyze or classify the psychological drives. A drive is an â€Å"excitatory state produced by a homeostatic disturbance†, an instinctual need that has the power of driving the behaviour of an individual. Drive theory is based on the principle that organisms are born with certain psychological needs and that a negative state of tension is created when these needs are not satisfied. When a need is satisfied, drive is reduced and the organism returns to a state of homeostasis and relaxation. According to the theory, drive tends to increase over time and operates on a feedback control system, much like a thermostat. Psychoanalysis Early attachment theory Social psychology Corroborative evidence Evaluation apprehension See Also ReferencesIn Freudian psychoanalysis, drive theory (German: Triebtheorie, German: Trieblehre) [1] refers to the theory of drives, motivations, or instincts, that have clear objects. [citation needed] In 1927 Freud said that a drive theory was what was lacking most in psychoanalysis. He was opposed to systematics in psychology, rejecting it as a form of paranoia, and instead classified drives with dichotomies like Eros/Thanatos drives, the drives toward Life and Death, respectively, and sexual/ego drives. Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents was published in Germany in 1930  when the rise of fascism in that country was well under way, and the warnings of a second European war were leading to opposing calls for rearmament and pacifism. Against this background, Freud wrote â€Å"In face of the destructive forces unleashed, now it may be expected that the other of the two ‘heavenly forces,’ eternal Eros, will put forth his strength so as to maintain himself alongside of his equally immortal adversary.†. In 1947, Hungarian psychiatrist and psychologist Leopold Szondi, aimed instead to a systematic drive theory. Szondi Drive Diagram has been described as a revolutionary addition to psychology, and as paving the way for a theoretical psychiatry and a psychoanalytical anthropology. In early attachment theory, behavioural drive reduction was proposed by Dollard and Miller (1950) as an explanation of the mechanisms behind early attachment in infants. Behavioural drive reduction theory suggests that infants are born with innate drives, such as hunger and thirst, which only the caregiver, usually the mother, can reduce. Through a process of classical conditioning, the infant learns to associate the mother with the satisfaction of reduced drive and is thus able to form a key attachment bond. However, this theory is challenged by the work done by Harlow, particularly the experiments involving the maternal separation of rhesus monkeys, which indicate that comfort possesses greater motivational value than hunger. In social psychology, drive theory was used by Robert Zajonc in 1965 as an explanation of the phenomenon of social facilitation. [8] The audience effect notes that in some cases the presence of a passive audience will facilitate the better performance of a task, while in other cases the presence of an audience will inhibit the performance of a task. Zajonc’s drive theory suggests that the variable determining direction of performance is whether the task is composed of a correct dominant response (that is, the task is perceived as being subjectively easy to the individual) or an incorrect dominant response (perceived as being subjectively difficult). In the presence of a passive audience, an individual is in a heightened state  of arousal. Increased arousal, or stress, causes the individual to enact behaviours that form dominant responses, since an individual’s dominant response is the most likely response, given the skills which are available. If the dominant response is correct, then social presence enhances performance of the task. However, if the dominant response is incorrect, social presence produces an impaired performance. Corroborative evidence Such behaviour was first noticed by Triplett (1898) while observing the cyclists who were racing together versus cyclists who were racing alone. It was found that the mere presence of other cyclists produced greater performance. A similar effect was observed by Chen (1937) in ants building colonies. However, it was not until Zajonc investigated this behaviour in the 1960s that any empirical explanation for the audience effect was pursued. Zajonc’s drive theory is based on an experiment   involving the investigation of the effect of social facilitation in cockroaches. Zajonc devised a study in which individual cockroaches were released into a tube, at the end of which there was a light. In the presence of other cockroaches as spectators, cockroaches were observed to achieve a significantly faster time in reaching the light than those in the control, no-spectator group. However, when cockroaches in the same conditions were given a maze to negotiate, performance was impaired in the spectator condition, demonstrating that incorrect dominant responses in the presence of an audience impair performance. Evaluation apprehension Cottrell’s Evaluation Apprehension model later refined this theory to include yet another variable in the mechanisms of social facilitation. He suggested that the correctness of dominant responses only plays a role in social facilitation when there is an expectation of social reward or punishment based on performance. His study differs in design from Zajonc’s as he  introduced a separate condition in which participants were given tasks to perform in the presence of an audience that was blindfolded, and thus unable to evaluate the participant’s performance. It was found that no social facilitation effect occurred, and hence the anticipation of performance evaluation must play a role in social facilitation. Evaluation apprehension, however, is only key in human social facilitation and not observed in animals. 1. Mà ©lon, Jean (1996) Notes on the History of the Szondi Movement Text for the Szondi Congress of Cracow, August 1996. 2. Seward, J. (1956). drive, incentive, and reinforcement. Psychological Review, 63, 19-203. Retrieved from https://pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=rev-63-3-195&site=ehost-live 3. Leopold Szondi (1972) Lehrbuch der Experimentellen Triebdiagnostik 4. Freud, S. (1961). Civilization and its discontents. J. Strachey, transl. New York: W. W. 5. Leopold Szondi [1947] (1952) Experimental Diagnostics of Drives first edition, quotation: 6. Livres de France (1989), Issues 106-109 quotation: 7. Harlow H F; Zimmermann R R. (1959). Affectional responses in the infant monkey Science, vol(130):421-432 8. Zajonc, R. B. (1965). Social facilitation. Science, 149, 269-274. 9. Zajonc, R. B.; Heingartner, A.; Herman, E. M. (1969). â€Å"Social enhancement and impairment of performance in the cockroach†. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 13 (2): 83. doi:10.1037/h0028063 . edit

Poetry and Worldly Wealth Essay

Andrew Lang describes the truth about money and what it meant to people in the 1800s and 1900s. He uses repetition to clearly explain his ideas. Lang believes that money could either be good or it could be evil, I guess it all depends in how you use it and appreciate it. The people in this poem are priests, soldiers, captains etc. The main idea is about how some and most people only do things for money. The â€Å"Ballad of Worldly Wealth,† is a depiction of how money can bring pride and corruption into our society. The form of this poem is a ballad. A ballad’s contents include 3 stanzas, at least 8 lines in each stanza, and a refrain (a repeated phrase at the end point of a poem) a refrain in example of the Ballad of Worldly Wealth is â€Å"Youth, and health, and Paradise† The author used artificial imagery to characterize money as both a staple in society, and as the icon of the world’s power and corruption. There is several rhetoric patterns found in the poem. The rhyme pattern is an End rhyme. Poems with end rhyme are those whose last word of every line ends with a word that rhymes, for example: â€Å"While the tides shall ebb and (flow); Money maketh Evil (show)† Flow and show are two separate words, however both have rhyming sounds. Also displayed is parallel construction, a sentence, idea or clause that is presented with an opposing idea. In this statement, â€Å"Money moves the merchants all, While the tides shall ebb and flow; Money maketh Evil show, Like the Good, and Truth like lies† it can be seen that the opposition is of that money is what makes the world go round. However money also creates greed, and makes the people see the money as a good thing, when really it’s all a lie.

Modernization Theory and Classical Dependency Theory Essay

Modernization theory is the process of transforming from a traditional or underdeveloped society to a modern Western societies way of life. Basically, Modernization theory became the foundation stone of this evolutionary prescription for development. The theory is not homogeneous—numerous proponents disagreed on several key features. But in broad outline, the theory focused on deficiencies in the poorer countries and speculated about ways to overcome these deficiencies. It viewed traditional society as a series of negatives: stagnant and unchanging, not innovative, not profit-making, not progressing, not growing. Modernization is the economic growth within societies and the third world did not undergo these economic or political transformations; it was ‘left behind’. So the task of the Third World is to transform itself from tradition to modernity. That is, to follow the footsteps of the Western world. In fact, because the path is now charted, these countries can avoid the mistakes made by the West. On the other hand, Dependency is also not a homogeneous, unified theory—serious analytical differences persist within the school. Economic growth in advanced countries created Third World poverty in its wake: not simply that the Third World is poor in comparison with the industrialised world; rather that it is poor because development of the industrial system in Western Europe and North America changed and impoverished many societies of Asia, Africa and Latin America, through colonialism, imperialism and extractive terms of trade. When capitalism began to spread, the ceaseless search for profit began: through the production of agricultural goods in colonies or other lands, and Western Europe’s ability to drive unequal bargains. This fundamentally changed the social structures of the Third World. The term dependency comes from this link: Some say the exploitation of various regions for their raw materials and labour impoverished them and made them depend on the West. Others point out that in fact it is the other way around: that the West has been dependent on the Third World though history in order to be able to grow and prosper. Modernization theory sees capitalism as a creative force, causing growth and progress. Dependency sees international capitalism as the ruin of the Third World. Modernization sees rich countries as helpers of poor countries; dependency sees them as the main obstacle to the well-being of the poorer countries. Not all of dependency theorists’ prescriptions are anti-capitalism however: some see  some good in using capitalism and protectionism to enhance national economies. Both theories have point in terms on how develop these third world countries and address poverty. According to modernization perspective the causes of poverty are due to structural restraints placed on the third world by European powers. It describes the structural restraints as unequal exchange. The declining â€Å"terms of trade† as the price of exports from the third world are decreasing, while prices from developed countries are increasing. This effect creates a circular trap as wages in third world countries are low, which declines the export prices, while wages in richer countries a re increasing, which cause increases in the price of industrial goods. This means underdeveloped countries need to constantly increase their yields and exports for their profits to stay the same. On the other hand, dependency perspective argues that the causes of poverty in third world countries are due to their traditional cultures and values. These theories believe that in order to solve this problem poor countries can succeed through following the footsteps of developed countries. These would include invading other countries to. However, this is quite unachievable because we are now in modern time. In the case of the Philippines, I believe that we can achieve and become one of the develop countries. For example, iphone has a metal cover and iron to its internal body; the metal was produced through mining and exported to some countries. When it goes back it becomes iphone and it cost more expensive. In other words, the countries that produced metal and have limited technology are making those developed countries richer. Instead of exporting those products, utilized it within the country and profit more from it. Lack of technology is not the reason to depend in the western countries, impatient and being contented for what they have. They don’t think of the better things that they can have. The real essence of democr acy was turned off and forgot that it is the rule of the mob. If these theories are really applicable how come third world countries are still crapping and suffering from poverty. But it is very applicable it’s just happen that the attitude and the thinking of the people are different. Like what I have learned from Cuban people, people must change their way of thinking.

Universal Design for Learning As It Applies to Early Childhood Special Essay

Universal Design for Learning As It Applies to Early Childhood Special Education - Essay Example Universal design for learning does not offer single solution however, it is a combination of various approaches designed to meet the requirements of children with different kinds of disabilities. One of the major challenges that the universal design for learning faces is the concept of inclusion. Inclusion refers to innovative forms of teaching methods in a regular classroom setup that caters to the educational requirements of the children with disabilities. This method does not involve the movement of children in a set up that offers these services rather it brings these innovative methods of teaching in a regular classroom set up. This new form of teaching ensures that all children attain education equally and understand the contents of the syllabus more effectively. There is lot of controversy about inclusion of universal design for learning in a regular classroom setup. Some consider that it is not a good practice to enforce inclusion on all children while others consider it most appropriate since it meets the requirements of all children irrespective of their disabilities. The educational institutions are recognizing the need for identifying innovative methods of education service delivery. These new techniques of teaching practices will help in imparting equal opportunity of education for the disabled children. ... Moreover, it is not ethical to enforce a certain kind of teaching to students in order to cater the needs of certain segment of students. Since new challenges emerge everyday for the teacher in teaching the disabled children, there has to be reforms made in the field of education. There are both positive and negative impacts of inclusion of the universal design for learning on the current education system. Hence, a holistic understanding of this issue is required in providing effective education to both the categories of children. The proposed study will investigate the students and teachers concepts and beliefs about universal design for learning and the data will be generated using qualitative research method. Artifacts, simple observation and interviews will be the main strategies utilized to generate data. The data generated will be analyzed on an ongoing basis so that new ideas emerge from the data accumulated. This study will be of utmost importance to the children with disabilities and without it. It will also be relevant to the special educators and general teachers. Literary review According to Doty, a strong supporter of Universal design for learning recommends that it should be implemented for all children in a classroom. All the children have different ways of learning. Universal design for learning will provide a broader opportunity of learning to children with disabilities and without it. [Jaehnert, O Malley and Robinson, n. d]. The concept of educational equality can only be attained from a regular classroom setup by introducing universal method of learning. There are teachers who are implementing this technique of teaching

Strategic Choice and Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic Choice and Analysis - Assignment Example Stephen Haines' Centre for Strategic Management has built a new strategic planning system based on systems thinking and calls it the 21st Century Yearly Strategic Management System and Cycle. This system moves beyond planning into implementation. It includes a Plan-to-Plan phase and a Plan-to-Implement phase. The steps include team building and leadership skill building as part of the planning. It also includes a parallel process whereby all key stakeholders are involved based on the premise that 'People support what they help create'. This process starts with a Futuristic Environmental Scan and defines the ideal vision in terms of mission, values and end outcomes that the organization wishes to set for itself. Only after the statement of such Ideal Future a Current State assessment based on SWOT is taken up to identify the gaps and make strategies to close the gap.As a result of their clients adopting this model, it was found that clients began developing the competitive edge and th e organization was much clearer on what their competitive "positioning" in market place was and found themselves moving positively in that direction, to the delight of their customers.(Haines,2004).Thus this process leans directly into the process of competitive strategy making as it includes environmental scan both-present and future and enables movement in the desired direction. However this system's parallel process is a very critical aspect and strategic management literature has a common view that good strategies grow out of ideas that have been floating around the firm, and initiatives that have been taken by all sorts of people in the firm. This resource must be drawn upon as frequently as required even in competitive strategy making. Thus a company's competitive strategy would concern primarily with its actions and plans for competing successfully - its specific and focused efforts to please clients, its offensive and defensive maneuvers to counter similar efforts of rivals, its responses to prevailing market conditions, and its initiatives to strengthen and improve its market position. Types of Competitive Strategies The generic competitive strategies and their standard objectives have been given in numerous strategic management literatures to include the following: (a) Overall Low-Cost Leadership Strategy: Its primary object is to find a sustainable cost advantage over rivals, using lower-cost edge as a basis either to under-price rivals and reap market share gains or earn higher profit margin by selling at going price. (b) Broad Differentiation Strategy: Its primary objective is to incorporate differentiating features that cause buyers to prefer firm's product or service over rival brands. Looking on the obverse side it implies that an organization must find ways to differentiate that create value for buyers and that such ways should not be amenable to easy copying and matching by rivals. An important differentiation strategy is not to spend more than the chargeable price premium, ever to achieve differentiation. This is in fact the theoretical

When the Palestinian Leadership Wants a Palestinian State more than it Essay

When the Palestinian Leadership Wants a Palestinian State more than it Wants to See the Destruction of Israel - Essay Example As the discussion stresses in a joint Israeli and Palestinian poll conducted in the last quarter of 2008, about 58% of the Palestinians preferred the two-state solution. It is a significant percentage, although smaller than the favorability in the Israelis’ perspective. The Palestinian leadership, however, is an entirely different case altogether. For instance, conflict could have been easily avoided and peace attained during the meeting brokered by US President Bill Clinton at Camp David but that the proposal was truned down by the Palestinian leadership because it would have meant leaving the Jewish state intact. Currently, the Palestinian leadership, the Hamas, is taking an even more hardline approach in its conflict with Israel. According to Mohammed Ayoob , while Hamas has moved increasingly toward accepting a two-state solution, its leadersdhip is not willing to accept Israel’s legitimacy as a state unless and until it is cewrtain of what Israel has to offer in re turn. The problem here is that Israel has made it clear time and time again that it is willing to divide lands with the Palestinians. The Palestinian leadership, on the other hand, is unwilling to fritter away its most valuable card without attaining full Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state within the borders of 1967.   This paper highlights that in a joint Israeli and Palestinian poll conducted in the last quarter of 2008, about 58% of the Palestinians preferred the two-state solution. It is a significant percentage, although smaller than the favorability in the Israelis’ perspective. The Palestinian leadership, however, is an entirely different case altogether. For instance, conflict could have been easily avoided and peace attained during the meeting brokered by US President Bill Clinton at Camp David but that the proposal was truned down by the Palestinian leadership because it would have meant leaving the Jewish state intact. Currently, the Palestinian leadership, the Hamas, is taking an even more hardline approach in its conflict with Israel. According to Mohammed Ayoob, while Hamas has moved increasingly toward accepting a two-state solution, its leadersdhip is not willing to accept Israel’s legitimacy as a state unless and until it is cewrtain of what Israel has to offer in re turn.

Subject is American Government. Topic is Socialization Essay

Subject is American Government. Topic is Socialization - Essay Example The strength of the political culture of a country depends on the extent at which these agents of socialization can help to teach the people about certain societal rules, values and expectations (Anderson & Taylor, 2007). Generally, the masses tend to follow the agent of socialization that inspires them politically (Brinkerhoff, White & Ortega, 2007). The mass media for example helps to disseminate information about the things that go on in the political mainstream of the country and it is what they give to the people that the people take. Thus, agents of socialization play a great role in shaping an individual’s political culture. The agent of socialization that has had the greatest influence in shaping my views about the government is the family. The reason is not far-fetched. They say charity begins at home and my perception about the government actually begins with the opinion of my immediate family. This is due to the fact that, my family is the closest agent of socialization to me and I hear their views and opinion about the government through our dinner talks and general discussions at home. Thus, any opinion that I have formed about the government could easily be traced to the discussions and debates I have had with my family. My parents have had a major influence in my perception of the government and this shows the extent at which, the family as an agent of socialization has had the greatest influence in shaping my perception about

Australian Law and Commonwealth Parliament Assignment

Australian Law and Commonwealth Parliament - Assignment Example According to the findings, it can, therefore, be said that the Parliament of Australia (Commonwealth Parliament) is the core institution where the process of debate, consideration, and passage of bills into laws plays out. This is a crucial aspect of governing the nation, as it allowed obsolete laws to be replaced by more relevant ones (recent laws governing grants and rights of Aboriginal Australians are a case in point). The constitution states that â€Å"a new Commonwealth (national) law can only be made, or an existing law changed or removed, by or under the authority of the federal Parliament, that is, by or in accordance with an Act of Parliament.† This instance shows that the motives and objectives for the creation of the institution of the Parliament are well articulated in the Constitution. The rest of this essay will argue that the Commonwealth Parliament is indeed endowed with broad-ranging powers to make laws for the country. The Commonwealth Parliament is a bicame ral arrangement, where the two houses of Parliament will have to concur before laws could be passed. The lower house of the Parliament is elected on the basis of ‘one-vote-one-value’ principle. The upper house, on the other hand, contains appointed members alongside elected members. Section 1 of the Constitution of Australia states that Parliament contains three units. The first component is the Queen, the second is the Senate and the third is the House of Representatives. Since the Queen is a nominal figure, she’s represented by the Governor-General. The Senate (the upper house) consists of 76 members (twelve each for each state and two for each mainland territory). Using the method of proportional voting, Senators are elected to the house. The lower house, on the other hand, is represented by 150 members. The members of the House of Representatives are drawn from electoral divisions or electorates. (Wear, 1999, p.544) These two houses meet in separate chambers of the Parliament House in the capital city to debate and vote on several legislative proposals. This way, views from all sections of society are heeded in the process. Thus, the pioneers of Australian democracy have installed a stable and foolproof structure for updating the laws of the country. (Kelly, 2001, p.44) The framers of the constitution also imposed checks and balances in the system through the endowment of unequal amounts of powers to the two houses. For example, â€Å"In matters relating to the collection or expenditure of public money the Constitution gives a more powerful role to the House of Representatives—the House of Government. Bills which authorize the spending of money (appropriation bills) and bills imposing taxation cannot originate in the Senate. The Senate may not amend bills imposing taxation and some kinds of an appropriation bill, or amend any bill so as to increase any proposed charge or burden on the people but it can ask the House to make amen dments to these bills.†Ã‚  

Environmental Influences Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Influences Paper - Essay Example This is the reason why understanding the demographics is of critical importance for an organization. According to the July 2008 estimates, the population of Germany is approximately 82,315,548. (Central Intelligence Agency, 2008) The total population figure has also been falling recently. For a company that produces or supplies necessary goods like food, clothing or shelter, this factor is very important because the higher the population, the higher will the demand and customer base for their products. Since the population in Germany is one of the largest in the world, this country would positively affect marketing. The male and female proportion in the population also affects marketing of gender specific goods. Besides this the age structure will also affect the marketing of goods. For example, a company that wishes to introduce health care facilities for the old population of the country would need to know if there is a need in the country. At present, the age structure if Germany is such that the most of the population lies between the ages of 0-60. (Federal Statistical Office, 2007) This is ideal for any type of company except for those who target older population. However, in Germany, the birth and death rates are decreasing, which increases the threat of aging population. This may also affect the marketing in the country. Social and cultural factors influence the consumer's behavior to a g... For example, in Germany, most spoken language is German and no other language is preferred (German Culture, 2008). This factor may affect the approach that organizations use in order to market their goods and services. The social structure also determines the marketing strategy in a country. For example, a company producing luxury goods needs to know the size of their potential customer base. The social structure in the country they are operating in will influence this. If the country has a low percentage of people in high class society, this country might not be the most ideal place for this company to launch this product. Germany is a modern and a cosmopolitan country and majority of the population lies in middle class. This may considered by companies while marketing their products. Political and Legal The Political and Legal factors of a country determine the marketing to a great extent. The company needs to know if there are any regulations set on production and marketing of any type of goods. For example, in Muslim countries such as Pakistan, alcoholic drinks are not allowed to be marketed. These factors affect the marketing of goods and services in a country. Also there are laws set by government and consumer protection agencies regarding the methods advertising. These will also affect the marketing strategy of an organization. There are no such legal or political factors in Germany that will greatly influence marketing there. The political conditions are stable and there are no such legal requirements that hinder marketing in any manner. Production and marketing of all types of goods and services is promoted there. Economic The economic conditions influence the marketing in the

Black People and Racism Essay Example for Free

Black People and Racism Essay â€Å"There are hundred of races in the world. Unfortunately, for as long as human have existed, we have enslave those weaker, of those we perceived to be weaker than ourselves†(thinkquest). Racism is everywhere, and we often see it on the streets and schools. There are many short stories and poems that are termed as racist. â€Å"On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person† by Allison Joseph, â€Å" Sonny’s Blue† by James Baldwin, and â€Å" Blink Your Eyes† by Sekou Sundiata are renaissance works that show the issues of racism that black people had lived and are still living today. In â€Å"On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person† by Allison Joseph, the author tells the story about a young Negro whose mother received brutal treatment in her school in England. In the beginning, Allison says: â€Å"Emphasize the â€Å"h†, you hignorant ass†(557). This shows that the â€Å"h† is sarcastic, and the â€Å"tone condescending intensifies racism†(Caroline). They might have used the emphasis of â€Å"h† to humiliate the negro, to make them feel bad about their skin color, and to show the negro that they cannot fit in the white society even if they become educated. Negros have suffered horrible experiences. Allison wrote about the way teachers treated Negro in school. She says: â€Å" †¦teachers slapped her open palm with a ruler in that Jamaican schoolroom†(557). Allison’s mother lived under a white teacher’s pressure, and the teachers showed this negra that she will never learn how to speak like the whites, and they can spank her because she is black, and blacks cannot do anything against the teachers because the whites have the power and the Negro is a submissive servant. In addition, Allison also shows her own life in the United States. Allison is a black person living in the United States, and she sees people discriminating her because she does not act like a black person. Allison writes: â€Å" And I didn’t sound like a Black American, college acquaintance observed, sure they knew that a black person was supposed to sound like. Was I supposed to sound lazy† (557) Allison shows that America’s society judge the black just for their skin color, and most white people see the Negro as lazy, and do not work to bring money home, do not go to school, and do not know how to speak. For example, some restaurant servers prejudice the Negro when they walk into the restaurant by making their own assumption that the table with Negro will not leave any tip. However, in many cases, they are wrong because the table with Negro might leave more tip than a table with white people. Racism is not gone. The Negro is still facing it today, but racism today is expressed differently than it was in the renaissance era. During the renaissance in Harlem, the Negro did not have enough opportunities for their future due to racism. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blue† by James Baldwin, the author tells the story of two black brothers born in Harlem, and the older brother losses communication with his young brother, Sonny. The older brother is the narrator of the short story. Later on, they reconnect due to news the narrator receives about Sonny’s prison. Before the narrator reconnects his life back to his brother, he shows many problems both had because they are Negro. Racism is evident throughout the story. The narrator wrote about Sonny’s friend. â€Å"And now, even though he was a grown-up man, he still hung around that block, still spend hours on the street corners, was always high and raggy†(310). It shows that the Negro do not have opportunities to become successful in life. The Negro has barriers between them and the outside world, which prevent most negro to obtain education or skills, and they are obligated to live on the streets corners asking for money, using drugs and stealing. In addition, the narrator also shows how racism affect the education of a negro which can be describe as Sonny’s choice of life. Sonny choice of life relates to the lack of opportunities black people have during the renaissance in Harlem. After the death of Sonny’s mother, the narrator tries to open Sonny’s mind, and advises him to finish school. In the kitchen talking to Sonny, the narrator writes: â€Å"I want to join the army. Or the navy, I don’t care. If I say I’m old enough, they’ll believe me†(321). Sonny already knows that there aren’t opportunities for him. He is forced to choose among necessities; he sees the army as the only opportunity open for Negro to escape from the streets. On the other hand, the school will give him the degree, but he does not believe that it will help him find a good job. He already knows that there are no doors open for the Negro. However, the narrator disagrees with Sonny. They are still in the kitchen talking about Sonny’s future. â€Å"†¦ But if you don’t finish school now, you’re going to be sorry later that you didn’t†(321). His brother is showing him that he can fight against racism, and he can find opportunities for his life. For example, His brother â€Å"denied† racism, and he gained education and skills to become an algebra teacher, but Sonny does not see it, and he chooses to live on the street like his â€Å"friend†. In addition to the lack of opportunity, black people are more often to be discriminate in traffic than whites. In the poem, â€Å"Blink Your Eyes† by Sekou Sundiata, the author shows the reader a Negro is stopped by the police officer because he is black even though the Negro didn’t do anything wrong. The author writes about the red light. â€Å"But the Law said I was on my way thru a red light red light red light†(582). The following passage, the red light means that this area is not for Negro. It is a neighborhood where white people live, and black people around can be seen as a threat to their place. However, this is not an excuse for the officer to stop this person. Sundiata let the reader know that â€Å"†¦In other words the light was green†(582). The green light is open only for the white society; the Negro does not have chances to go to another level, so the door â€Å"always† will close for them. After the officer stops the negro, Sundiata writes: â€Å" Why did you stop me? Somebody had to stop you I watch the news, you always lose. You’re unreliable, that’s undeniable† (583). The white society do not want to let the negro have opportunities in life, and the negro will be always seen as a threat to the society, and the white society does not need them. The negro does not have the power to stop racism, and it will always be part of their life. However, it is changing. The negro has more voice today than in the past, and they are more recognized. For example, Oscar Grant’s case where a young black guy was murdered by a police officer by â€Å"mistake†. People see it as a â€Å"racism murder† (Jessie). Fortunately, the justice was made for his family. This shows us that Racism is not completely gone. The three stories from the Renaissance show us that black people had suffered racism for many years. From being stereotyped as lazy and uneducated, to not having opportunities to succeed in life and not being accepted by the white society, the Negro has had a difficult journey to improve their situation. Even though today racism is not as prominent as in the Renaissance, we still see some signs of racism that are not completely gone. Works Cited: Sundiata, Sekou. â€Å"Blink Your Eyes†. Approaching Literature. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl – New York Bedford and Martin’s, 2008. Joseph, Allison. â€Å" On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person†. Approaching Literature. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl – New York Bedford and Martin’s, 2008. Baldwin, James. â€Å" Sonny’s Blue†. Approaching Literature. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl – New York Bedford and Martin’s, 2008. Jessie. â€Å" Racism The Murder of Oscar Grand III†. Racism Review Blog 17 Jan. 2010 http://www. racismreview. com/blog/2009/01/07/racism-the-murder-of-oscar-grant-iii/ Think Quest. â€Å"Common Prejudice†. http://library. thinkquest. org/C006274/race/intro. html .

How Procter And Gamble Manages Business Essay

How Procter And Gamble Manages Business Essay Nowadays every business is trying to expand its market to the world. There are many factors that help the company to achieve in the business world such as generating new products, a good marketing plan and knowing the important factor of cultural diversity in each country. Procter and Gamble (PG) is one of the most successful companies in the world. Resulting from effective business operation through cultural diversity, PG has become one of the most successful organizations. PG is the largest consumer goods production company in the world and well known around the world with a long history. PG is concerned about cultural diversity and they place an importance on it. Robert Mcdonald, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO and Linda Clement-Holmes, Past Chief Diversity Officer, and Senior Vice President, Global Business Service mention that Even during a challenging business climate, Diversity Inclusion remains a key priority. We believe diversity and inclusion is a competitive adva ntage.  [1]  Therefore PG is a good example in the education of young business workers and other companies to succeed in international business. This paper focuses on the issue of a global workforce by relating how PG manages a global workforce and remains successful in international business. II. Company Overview: Procter and Gamble (PG) is a company focused on consumer goods production. The company provides brands and packages goods involved in Beauty, Grooming and Household Care. The company was founded by William Procter and James Gamble in 1837 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. PG is the largest company in the world that serves 4.6 billion consumers globally, produces and markets more than 300 brands and sells in more than 180 countries. To better support the global marketplace, PG divided their geographic structure into four regions North America, Asia, Latin America, and Europe/Middle East/ Africa.  [2]   PGs History William Procter who was candle maker and James Gamble who was soap maker both of them immigrated from England and Ireland. They are located to Cincinnati Ohio. After that, their father-in-law persuaded them to joins a business partners. Therefore, Procter and Gamble was founded in 1837.  [3]   In the 1880s, the company produced a new product named Ivory. Ivory was a cheap soap that did not sink in water. During the American Civil War in 1858-1859, the company signed to provide the Union Army with soap from Procter and Gamble. In addition, to increase profit and product demand, it developed a lot of product lines that were related to soap such as for hair, laundry and dishwashers.  [4]  Moreover, in 1887, PG began a profit sharing program for company workers. This program helped the workforce join their crucial duty with the companys success.  [5]   In 1915, PG started to build factories outside the United States because of the demand for products. PG opened another product facility in Canada for soap and Crisco.  [6]   Radio grew more popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and PG sponsored radio programs. That is the origin of the word soap operas. Moreover, PG is the first company to manage data based market research with customers. This research helps the company enhance customer understanding and respond to consumer needs.  [7]   PG is the first company that instituted the Consumer Relations Department to respond and connect with the consumer in 1941. In addition, in 1973, the company created a toll-free phone number an e- mail in the 1980s to improve customers ability to contact the company.  [8]   In 1984 PG was one of the top 100 Best companies to work. Each year, the company receives many global honors for diversity, value, and improvement of lives.  [9]   PG obtained the honors from the U.S. Governments National Medal of Technology in 1996. Since PG is the company that improved and created advance technology for response to the consumer needs.  [10]   In 2010, PG understood the consumer needs and created the modernization program for help touch, on consumers needs. This enhanced consumers lives to complete the companys goal. Moreover, PG was one of the sponsors of the London Olympic Games in 2012.  [11]   Products For more than 170 years, PG has provided 50 leading brands around the world and 25 brands have more than $1 billion in annual sales. About 4.6 billion consumers use PG products every day. For consumers better life style and brand loyalty, PG tries to improve their products by observing and testing in order to get the best suitable products for their customers. PGs brands can be divided into two groups: Beauty and Grooming; and Household Care. The top products include the following  [12]  : Beauty and Grooming: Gillette, Olay, SKII, Head and Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, Rejoice, Safeguard, Always Ivory, Oral-B, Gucci Fragrances, Dolce Gabbana Cosmetic and CoverGirl. Household Care: Duracell, Mr. clean, Swiffer, Pampers, Tide, Downy, Dash and Gain.  [13]   Figure 1: PG Popular Products  [14]   PG SWOT Analysis  [15]   Strengths Most important market position collected on a convincing brand portfolio Significant RD and marketing investments Durable cash productivity Weakness High instance of product recalls Opportunities Future increase plans with focus on growth attention on its essential good-looking business and improving its consumers base Increase investment in production ability in developing countries Threats Rising inflation could cause considerable increase in the work cost Fake goods SWOT Analysis Overview PG is the largest consumer products company in the world. From past until now PG still leading market position collected on a strong brand portfolio with incomes of $78,938 million and serves products to 4.2 billion people. Moreover, PG also provided significant research and development and marketing investment to investigation the products for respond the market. PG invested a lot of money with RD part and marketing. The company use RD by attempt to connect with customer around the world for research and learn customer behavior and focused on consumer understanding.  [16]   However, PG is the company with a difference kind of product and large size but sometimes mistakes can happen in production. Some product brands are often recalled such as in November 2009 PG recalled Vicks Sine X nasal spray from Germany, UK and US because of the company found bacteria B. Cepa cia from product that produce in Germany. Later in March 2010 PG recalled Pringles the potato ship because of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the Salmonella bacteria that cause of hazard with healthy. Repeated products are often recalled cause the company less in consumer trust and impact with company financial.  [17]  Moreover in the future PG has plan to focused on growth attention on its essential good-looking business and improving its consumer base for maintain the company that largest consumer product in the world. The attractive point from analysis is how PG adapt and develop diversity challenges to be its strength for improve business becomes to strength business strategies and develop products for respond consumer around the world. The particular issue the company has to face in global workforce Over its 175 -year history and professional background, the other factors that make PG success in the world is understand with its employees, consumers behavior and culture diversity. Although PG is an American company but it has strong growth from the mid 1940s to 2000 on international. PG products are available in North America, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.  [18]  Therefore the one essential challenge of PG is a Global Workforce. Although PG has encounter with global workforce and culture diversity, understanding the difference and issue of culture diversity and context of international business can help PG is successful in global market. Moreover company must have learned how to improve and how to solve the issue to the company for success in business world. When the company wants to work in different culture, employees must have to understand and consider about the culture in each country. Employee should be considered which country is low context or high context by observing the people behavior in each country. If the employees understand the culture and known how it contrast with each other it is the important step to complete intercultural proficiency and increase ability to working in global workplace.  [19]   If the company wants to be successful in global business, there are various types of behavior suggestion that should be applied and avoided in order to increase a performance of intercultural communication. Therefore, the following recommendations will help the company improve and develop the culture diversity obstacle for company successful in international business. Obstacle of intercultural communication  [20]   Stereotype is a distorted attitude of groups of people related to their race, nationality and sexual orientation. As stereotypes lead to bias and disregarded the diversity within groups, stereotypes should be avoided. Prejudice is an aggressive attitude about some people or group of people. Prejudice is not based on experience but based on misunderstanding and generalization. Ethnocentrism is belief in your own culture that right, reasonable and better than the other cultures. Discrimination is the obvious action to except, bypass or break up oneself from the other groups. Language Differences is people who from different culture or different country may pick up the vocabulary of a new culture. This situation lead to misunderstanding between people. Suggestions for develop communication among diverse work place audiences  [21]   Seek training. Particularly in international organizations that face to diversity problems. Companies should provide training to employees about workforce diversity and increase employees skill about intercultural communication. Understand the value of differences. Diversity makes n organization creative. If the company recognizes the difference and importance of each customer groups, the company will be able to run it. Make fewer assumptions. Companies should not assume that all customers wants the same products or like the same products. Companies should produce product variety for customers option. The Companys solution to the issues: How PG manages a global workforce How PG apply suggestions for develop communication among diverse workplace audiences with the PGs case. Seek training In order to understand the culture and behavior of customers is not easy because different culture, difference group and difference age it makes different demand of customers. Therefore PG recognizes the importance of employees diversity training. At PG diversity training is one part of management programs that explain different about diversity attitude that make the company successful.  [22]  PGs employees must learn the goodness of diversity culture through program called Cultures At Work. This program is taught about culture context that consist of high context cultures such as Asia cultures are more likely thoughtful and instinctive and low context cultures such as German and North American communicators are more likely to use linear logic.  [23]   Understand the value of difference A lot of companies such as Wal-Mart must failed when expand the branch to foreign country because of culture diversity. Like PG the important problems of PG are face with diversity workers and communication problem in international employees. The essential of company strategy PG want to support employees culture diversity by established the seven corporate affinity groups for understand about workers culture and behavior in each group. Corporate affinity groups are consist of African Ancestry Leadership Network (AALN), Corporate Womens Leadership Team (CWLT), Gay, Ally, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Employees (GABLE), Asian Pacific American Leadership Team (APALT), Hispanic Leadership Team (HLT), Native American Indian Leadership Team (NAILT), and People with Disabilities (PWD).  [24]  PG understand the value of diversity board chief. Thus 11 board members of PG are consist of two are Black, one is Asian, one is Latino and four are women.  [25]   Make fewer assumptions. Procter and Gamble avoid the idea that the product is available in one country will be available to other countries. From errors in the past such as in Mexico PG produced the Downy Single Rinse this product help to clean clothes. However PG did not think about the differences washed clothes way between American customers and Mexican customers. American use washing machine while Mexican washed clothes in rivers. Therefore, this product was failed in Mexico from this case it makes the PG try to research customer behavior and exert time and money for explore target market.  [26]  As a result, PG design to run the Living It campaign in order to authorize company workers to live with consumers in their home, go to shopping with consumers for notice consumer behavior when they want to buy some products. Moreover, PG design another associated campaign Working It campaign in order to support Living It campaign by company workers hang out the small shop and observation about shopper behav ior and products in shelves for assemble information and bring it to develop company product in the future.  [27]  From this campaign bring the PG become to success in the business market and can expand the product through a lot of countries. Conclusion PG global workforce problem can be solved by the company tries to understanding and developing the culture diversity and international communication. Another factors that makes the PG complete in global market is research the customer behavior, develop and improve the product that support the customer want. As many of cases of the past PG always to researches and studies about customer culture in each country and develop the new products for support the customer and find the way to run business across cultural. In addition, PG applying the methods for enhancing communication between diverse workplace that help the company to handle with the problem of the global workplace and improve employees ability to work in international market.

Management Information System In Toyota Management Essay

Management Information System In Toyota Management Essay Toyota has established new areas for development through innovations made in their management information systems assigned for shipment. The company is functioning all over the world with clients and global leaders to enhance the process of shipment. To attain this, Toyota looked to analyze present shipment systems utilizing their clients as well as data from other organizations. Pursuing these enhancements to shipment systems was a tremendous development area for Toyota, since they were able to improve their client base and the needs of present clients. The usage of management information systems and networking were critical to aiding the company to attain success in enhancing its shipment systems Not only do the MIS systems of Toyota enable the gathering of huge amounts of business information, but they also offer a significant time saving advantage to the employees. Where in the past business data of Toyota had to be manually analyzed for documentation and analysis it can now be keyed in immediately and comfortably onto a computer by a data processor, enabling quicker decision making and more immediate reflexes for the company in its entirety. . To attain effective MIS, Toyotas planning procedure involves taking into account the MIS needs at the strategic levels. For instance, at the strategic stage MIS systems and reports of Toyota helps the yearly operating scheme and budgetary procedures of the company. They are also utilized in support of the future strategic MIS and business preparation activities. Without the establishment of an efficient MIS, it will be difficult for Toyota to evaluate and check the effectiveness of new activities and the development of current programs. Two basic instances of this would be the handling of mergers and partnerships or the consistent progress and the integration of new products and services. Introduction The business setting is characterized by intense competition. As a result, organizations have to provide clients with effective and dependable service. If they fail to do so, clients will transfer to more client efficient organizations. In addition, as organizations increase in size, it becomes more difficult to monitor the increasing level of client data. If an organization does a terrible job of managing and maintaining client accounts and information, it can lead to issues for both the organization and the client. This essay will concentrate on Toyota, and the way the company enhanced its customer service and minimized expenses by enhancing its management information system (MIS). References used involved business articles and websites with facts and discussion on Toyota. Defining of Concept: Management Information System (MIS) A management information system (MIS) pertains to a subcategory of the total inner controls of an organization encompassing the application of individuals, information, technologies, and processes by accountants to resolve business issues like putting a value on a commodity, service or a business plan. Management information systems are different from ordinary information systems in that they are utilized to study other information systems used in functional tasks in the company. Academically, MIS is normally utilized to pertain to the cluster of information management processes connected to the automation or assistance of individual decision making (Clarke, 2007). At the beginning, in companies and other firms, internal documentation was done manually and only quarterly, as an output of the accounting system and with some extra figures, and provided limited and disrupted the data on management performance. In the past, information had to be isolated individually by the people as per the need and policy of the company. Eventually, data and information was differentiated and rather than the gathering of mass of information, significant and accurate information that was needed by the company was the only one saved (Laudon, 2007). In their early years of existence, company computers were utilized for the logical business of calculating the payroll and monitoring the accounts payable and receivable. As programs were created that offered leaders with data regarding sales, stocks, and other information that would aid in controlling the company, the word MIS emerged to pertain to these types of companies (Cleland, 2006). At present, MIS is utilized widely in various subjects and involves: decision support systems, workforce control programs, project management and database storage programs. The establishment and maintenance of information technology tools helps leaders and the employees in undertaking any activities connected to the analysis of data. MIS and business systems are particularly helpful in the gathering of business information and the generation of reports to be utilized as tools for making choices. SECTION 1 1.1. Company Overview: Toyota Motor Corporation The Toyota Motor Company is one of the biggest car manufacturers in the globe. Toyota has established a reputation as both an engine producer and the manufacturer of luxury vehicles. While the organizations headquarters are still situated in Japan, it has several manufacturing facilities all over the globe and sales departments in various nations where the vehicles are transported (Toyota Motor Corporation Global Site, 2010). Toyota has a distinct business structure and the manner it pursues the vehicle manufacturing with its effective quality standards which developed the industry. Toyotas just-in-time supply-chain idea has turned into a standard for car companies all over the globe. The Toyota Production System (TPS) calls for the finished vehicle to be pulled through the production system (Toyota Production System Global Site: TPS, 2010). By concentrating on smaller manufacturing lots and generating only what clients need when they demand it, Toyota has established a versatility and responsiveness that keeps on becoming the guideline for the industry. Due to its concentration to consistent development, Toyota has obtained die-changeover and machine-set periods that are way ahead of its rivals. Therefore its capability for responding immediately to new market developments makes TPS an effective system in the present days quickly developing world business setting. Toyota understands that it is necessary in guaranteeing quality management and the provision of dependable products to clients (Liker, 2005). The primary advantage of Toyotas management information systems is their capability to merge their corporate objectives all over the world by utilizing their systems properly. For instance, Toyota connects to its clients in various sectors by utilizing various Internet based web systems for various global regions (Hino, 2005). Even though there are numerous Internet sites and networks for each of the global continents, the management information systems all connect back to a global Internet site. 1.2. MIS of Toyota Toyota Comprehensive Warehouse Management System (Toyota WMS) These management information systems offer effective management for warehouses of the whole procedure from the period products are obtained, to storage and location control, to shipment. Individuals, products, and data are addressed, wastes are removed, and everyday enhancements are advocated. The Toyota WMS are tasked to offer an important function in generating comprehensive reports out of huge volumes of warehouse information that would otherwise be primarily considered as junk to decision makers. By analyzing these outputs warehouse management officers of Toyota can determine patterns and trends that would have stayed invisible if the raw information were consulted in manual terms (Toyota Comprehensive Warehouse Management System, 2010). Jidoka If any issue emerges at any point of the manufacturing process, Toyotas error identification system, or Jidoka, determines the problem and allows line workers to make the important measures to resolve it immediately even if that implies stopping the manufacturing process (Toyota Motor Corporation Global Site: Jidoka, 2010). By determining the equipment where the problem initially happened, this management information system makes it more comfortable to determine the cause of the issue and stops defects from developing to the succeeding phases of production. 1.2.3. Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) The Toyota HSD is an innovation to a traditional geared transmission with an electromechanical transmission. Since a car engine provides power effectively only over a limited range of speeds, the crankshaft of the engine is normally connected to a geared transmission by a clutch that enables the person driving to vary the speed that can be produced by the engine to the speed necessary to make the car move (Miller, 2004). The mixture of excellent vehicle design, effective brake systems, electrical energy storage and effective engine design provide the HSD enabled vehicle with critical efficiency benefits. The intense rivalry in the automobile industry with huge penetration and exit expenses has resulted to Toyota in searching for a competitive advantage in their management information systems (Fujimoto, 2001). As the car industry has been affected by huge fuel and crude oil expenses, Toyota has come up with a computerized engine system that tracks engine efficiency and makes power utilization in the car as productive as it can be. 1.2.4. Andons Toyota utilizes management information systems that employ visual controls to immediately convey the status of production. On the production area, for instance, management information systems help inform a worker with a single glance whether the station is operating properly, whether there is something wrong being checked or whether the production has been halted. Management information systems also give critical data like which machine did not operate, the operator and the real time situations when it malfunctioned (Magee, 2007). 1.2.5. PokaYoke Toyota utilizes a variety of these affordable, highly dependable management information systems throughout its production process to stop defects. While computers of Toyota cannot establish business plans by themselves, they surely have helped the management in knowing the impacts of their plans, and aid in the process of effective decision-making (Morgan, 2006). The PokaYoke are tasked to convert information into data helpful for decision making. SECTION 2 Application of MIS in Toyota 2.1. MIS across Departments 2.1.1. Operations The operations of Toyota have been impacted by tremendous developments in technology. Because of this, manufacturing operations within the company have significantly improved. For instance, vehicles and car parts are transported ahead of time, and this prevents large amounts of money from being utilized for storing activities (Fujimoto, 2001). The Toyota Comprehensive Warehouse Management System offers remedies for the organization concerning car and process structuring and planning for the smooth flow of operations. The Toyota Comprehensive Warehouse Management System aids the organization with regard to the enhancement of the operational procedures (Toyota Comprehensive Warehouse Management System, 2010). The smooth flow of operations is accomplished within Toyota through the Toyota Comprehensive Warehouse Management System, where the structuring of each car model and warehousing processes from the prototyping level to the production phase is attained in one structure (Shingo, 1989). This limits unnecessary repetition of processes and the need for interfaces as data is secured in a centralized system. Excellent coordination with suppliers offers great opportunities for more efficient product development with suppliers via the Internet. Productivity and efficiency in the operations within Toyota is accomplished through the Model-mix structuring and the excellent planning aspects of this MIS. Model-mix structuring allows Toyota to enhance the operational procedures that are important for the organization (Ineak, 2009). The excellent planning options enable effective processing of assembly and parts of make-to-order deals. SAP gathers specialized production orders from Toyotas planning system. The orders include the car parts essential to assemble each car; some Toyota cars, for example, have plenty of components detailed in the list. SAP generates the shipment schedules for each part to match Toyotas assembly-line procedures (SAP, 2007). Toyota delivers these detailed information and precise shipment schedules to its suppliers. The significant suppliers obtain the information through electronic data interchange. Other providers log on to the Toyota online portal, where the company details the provisions to provide the updates on its shipment activities (Hino, 2005). By going to the website of Toyota, suppliers can monitor this information in real time, including release schedules, receipts, and other important information. When they deliver car parts, the suppliers send Toyota shipment details to give them with the latest information in this matter. Car parts going inside the Toyota storage facilities are then obtained and delivered quickly to the line. There, Toyota uses its Jidoka to monitor the assembly process in real time. Jidoka tracks the production verification and consumption information consistently. Parts utilized in the production are removed from the stock list, and costs are presented to detail the value of work in process (Toyota Motor Corporation Global Site, Jidoka, 2010). Customer desires for various Toyota cars warranted a solution that would properly improve and help organize production. These MIS help the organization to reduce order-to shipment period, enhances its supply chain activities with regard to demand analysis and tracking of deliveries, and improves inventory activities all over its establishmentsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ enabling Toyota to significantly reduce time to customer for its excellent vehicles. 2.1.2. Finance In 2003, Toyota started to implement SAP software system which also provides financial information to the finance department of the company and its concerned personnel. The people of the finance department of Toyota analyzes previous and current financial figures, anticipates future financial outputs, and checks and handles the utilization of capital over time by making use of the information generated by SAP (SAP, 2005). The SAP provides options that enable sales and pricing of cars through configuration and monitoring of available parts. Vehicle customization and pricing via the Internet enhanced car sales of Toyota by offering customers with the choice of designing their vehicles. Once the vehicle is designed, the SAP will determine the worth of the vehicles based on the design. Vehicle search enables Toyota to locate vehicles that address the specific designs, accomplishing faster delivery to customers (Hoseus, 2008). 2.1.3. Marketing The SAP helps the marketing operations of the organization with regard to product development, pricing activities, marketing, and sales forecasts. Just like other important company operations, Toyota relies on external sources of data. These sources entail the opinion or feedback of customers. (SAP, 2007) 2.2. Decision Making at the Three Tiers of Management 2.2.1. Operational Level Systems To transform the operational level decision making within Toyota very fundamental and productive, the MIS of Toyota aids in providing and sending reliable information to all executors. The Toyota Comprehensive Warehouse Management System is established to enhance the reporting of information that will be important in the proper decision making within the operational level of Toyota. Furthermore, the SAP is able to effectively collect and process data, process results, and able to adjust, cope and address inaccuracies right away. (SAP, 2007) 2.2.2. Management Level Systems The Toyota Comprehensive Warehouse Management System has effective internal controls that aid in the management level decision making tasks in Toyota. Information is collected through efficient processing and inner control tracking. An effective internal and outer audit process is utilized within Toyota through the MIS (Magee, 2007). 2.2.3. Strategic Level Systems To have a productive and efficient strategic level decision making, important data within Toyota is processed and handled properly through its Material Handling System. Differences in the way information is collected and documented can change information and trend studies. Also, because data collection and documentation activities will eventually change through time, Toyota management has established flexible methods to allow systems developments through the MIS. These procedures are always well structured, properly informed to employees and has a tracking system that helps in the strategic level decision making of Toyota (Toyota Material Handling USA, 2010). 2.3. Managing Business Processes The integration of various MIS within Toyota is the effect of the integration of system management. The employees and leaders of the company are the users of the MIS who know the present customer demands and also have the capacity to plan the funds for new initiatives. In order to control its business procedures properly, Toyota has persevered in managing ownership that promotes effectiveness in its business processes and helps ensure being responsible. Even though the MIS does not reduce expense altogether, the integration of this essential system, and its properly utilization reduces the periods that wrong decisions in company procedures are accomplished because of inaccurate information (Morgan, 2006). Terrible company decisions simply misuse precious assets. This may result in a negative effect on revenues and/or budget. Conclusion The MIS of Toyota has been proven to provide a great deal of advantages to its various business units. Toyota strives hard to keep discovering new methods to utilize their MIS to accomplish their business goals. While the management information systems of Toyota are totally helpful in producing statistical documents and information analysis they are also utilized as a tool where the leaders and employees of the company agree upon a set of goals for the employees to try to accomplish within a specific time frame. Goals are established utilizing the SMART standard: that is, goals have to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Specific. The target of these goals is to offer a set of performance standards by which Toyota can compare the output of a worker or program. The effectiveness of any goal in Toyota relies upon the consistent monitoring of developments. In monitoring this performance it is tremendously helpful for Toyota to make use of its management information systems. Because all goals must be quantifiable they can be monitored through the establishment of management documents to be studied by the leaders of Toyota (Magee 2007). Each market dominant company will have a minimum of one major competency à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ that is, a task or operation they do better than their rivals. In the case of Toyota, by establishing a formidable management information system it became possible for the company to move ahead of its rival companies. The MIS systems of Toyota offer the tools essential to obtain a better knowledge of the market as well as an improved knowledge of the company itself. The establishment of effective MIS in Toyota is the consequence of the implementation of an environment of system ownership. The owner is a system user who understands the present clients and their necessities and also has the capability to finance new programs. Establishing ownership builds confidence in corporate procedures and aids in guaranteeing responsibility. Even though the MIS of Toyota does not completely minimize costs, the establishment of important systems, and their effective usage, will reduce the chances that erratic choices will be done due to unreliable data. Only a management information system that is versatile and effective could undertake such activities economically possible. This management information system not only aids in removing waste, which makes it more friendly to the environment, it also implies that clients can be guaranteed that Toyota cars will adhere to the best standards of quality, dependability and innovation.

Backup Devices and Strategies Essay -- Software Computers Technology E

Backup Devices and Strategies Table of Contents Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Removable Storage †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Capacity †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Media Cost †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Storage Media Chart..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Tape Base Systems †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Magnetic-Optical Systems †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 MO Picture†¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 Network Storage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Backup Software †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦8 Backup Principles †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦.9 Backup Diagram.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦10 Power Failures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 If you’re concerned about data integrity, it shouldn’t be news to you to back up regularly. As hard drives get larger and larger, we have more to lose if something goes wrong. Archiving is usually important in any business setting or for people heavily into document-management systems. Your PC’s data is worth a lot more than the PC itself. Spend a bit more money to protect the data with removable storage, a simple backup scheme, and a decent electric power protection. Together they don’t cost much, and they add up to data insurance. The simplest mechanism for ensuring sustained operations is to increase the ease of reproducibility. This is the reason that backups are done. Removable Storage Capacity Super-floppy drives use high-density magnetic media and an enhanced read/write head design to increase disk capacity. These drives do double duty. They read and write not only super-floppy disks, but also common 1.44MB floppy disks, examples of these are Imation’s 120MB SuperDisk (formerly the LS-120) or Sony’s 250MBHiFD drive. If you are being selective and want to archive up to 650MB of files, CD-Recordable (CD-R) and Cd-Rewritable (CD-RW) drives are a great option. CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) is another useful medium for storing up to 650MB of data. These drives allow you to overwrite data previously written to a disc, so the disks are â€Å"recyclable† you can use packet-writing software to drag and drop files to CD-RW discs or convention premastering software to write sessions to your discs, so the medium is a fairly flexible one to use. For archiving larger files, high-capacity cartridge drives, such as the Jaz and Jaz2, offer 1GFB and 2GB ... ...s F.DAT Drives G.MO Drives H.Jaz Drives 15.Matching the appropriate storage technology to an application is a balancing act between E.cost, performance, and capacity F.what you like and what you can afford G.what Packy recommends and what you want H.What your boss tells you to buy 16.To protect your documents from havoc, you simply must perform E.Regular maintenance on your PC F. regularly scheduled backups, G.format your hard drive regularly H.Spellchecker 17.Most tape manufacturers recommend E.You switch tapes regularly F.You do a combination of full backups and incremental backups G.You rely on your hard drive H.You pray that nothing will happen to your work 18.Incremental backups typically require ____________ capacity then full backups? E.More storage F.Less storage G.The same storage H.None of the above 19.Spend a bit more money to protect the data with E.Removable storage, a simple backup scheme, and a decent electric power protection. F.A better PC and a ZIP Drive G.Calling in a good electrician H.Cat 5 wiring and a Network Technician 20.Super-floppy drives use E.120MB SuperDisk F.1.44 Floppy Disk G.CD-R Disks H.Both A and B

The Outsiders :: essays research papers

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Published 1967 Published by: Puffin Books Genre: fiction The book The Outsiders is the realistic story about this between two very different groups in a town in the United States: the poor Greasers from the east side, and the Socs, whitch is what the greasers call the socials, the richer boys from the other side of the town. Ponyboy Curtis is the narrator of the story, a 14-year-old boy who lives with his two older brothers, Darry and Soda. He is a pretty good athlete and student, but is not treated the same as the richer students at his school. Ponyboy uses to have long hair that he greases back, a symbol of being in the outsider gang. He is unhappy with his situation, because Darry is too protective of him and he always has to be afraid of Socs attacking him. One night Pony and his best friend Johnny are attacked by a group of drunken Socs. When one of the Socs tries to drown Pony, he goes unconscious and when he wakes up, he sees that Johnny has killed one of the Socs. The two boys decide to go to their friend Dally; he gives them money and directions to a church in the country. There they hide out for a long week, and after it Dally comes to find them. After eating, they return to the church and see that it has caught fire. A group of children are stuck in the burning building. Pony and Johnny do not hesitate and jump in to save the children, Pony gets out ok but Johnny is hit with a piece of falling wood and serious burnt. The boys appear in the news as heroes, even though they are still wanted for murdering the Soc. Pony is fine, but Johnny is badly hurt. After a while, there is a big fight between the Greasers and the Socs. The Greasers win, but when Dally and Pony go to tell Johnny that they won, he dies during their visit. Dally is destroyed by this and later he calls Pony to tell him that he robbed a store and is being chased by the cops. They hurry to meet him, and see him shot down after he pulls a gun on the police. Pony is scared by what has happened, and convinces himself that he, not Johnny, killed the Soc.

To what extent would you explain gender differences in terms of gender socialization?

We are living in the world with gender difference, though the difference is varied from one culture to another. Sociologists often explain gender difference in terms of the Nature and the Nurture Explanation. Nature Versus Nurture Explanation also called the Genetic versus Environmental Controversy, questions if the difference in behavior of male and female is due to their genetics (Nature) or their environment or ways of upbringing (Nurture). Some phenomenon of gender stereotypes is better explained by the Nature Explanation while most of them can be explained well by the Nurture Explanation. Though genetics do play a role in separating the actions and behaviors of males and females, it is only to a certain extent; most differences between the sexes are based on differential socialization of men and women. In this essay, it explains a little about the Nature Explanation but focus on the Nurture Explanation. It attempts to give validity to the nurture side by showing evidences that gender roles are a product of gender socialization. Firstly, it gives concrete examples of socialization in our daily lives. Then, the causes of gender difference and gender roles stereotypes will be examined by the Social Learning Theory and Cognitive Development Theory. At the end, the criticism of socialization and the recent change in socialization will also be stated. The Nature Explanation The Nature Explanation was proposed by Steven Goldbery. He argued that anthropological record shows that all human societies past and present have been patriarchies, that is, societies in which men dominate women. The majority of top positions and highest statuses are occupied by men rather than by women. Thus, Goldbery concluded that men are born with dominance. (Haralambos, 1995) Therefore, Biology, and hence genetics and hormones, serves as the answer to account for and give rise to masculinity1 and femininity2, for instance, men are more aggressive and competitive than female. The Nurture Explanation — Gender Socialization Is The Key Sociologists have also tried to open the door to the Nurture Explanation and prove that gender differences are the product of culture. Gender Socialization is one important field of the Nurture Explanation. Under the effect of socialization, male and female develop different personalities, aspirations and role expectation or even achievements in the society. 1) Examples of Gender Differences under Socialization Socialization is a gender-role model tried to specify the ways in which males and females are socialized to be what is considered masculine and feminine in a particular culture. (Abbott, 1992). Sociologists claim that we are under the effect of socialization through our life cycle. Some examples are given as follows: 1.1 Infant Socialization — Effect of Parents' Upbringing Certainly, it is difficult to distinguish between a boy baby and girl baby, apart by observing their difference in biological features. When they are being brought up, they have been unconsciously under the effect of gender socialization. It is believed that parents have great influences in extending the effects of socialization in the process of nurturing their children. For instance, boys are dressed in blue and girls in pink; girls wear dresses with hearts or flowers while boys wear super hero pajamas. 1.1.1 Toys and Games The parents' choice on toys for their children also reveals socialization. As children get older, parents reinforce gender roles by encouraging activities and choosing toys that are gender-specific. (Bryant & Check, 2000) — Girls play with Barbies dolls and kitchen sets while boys with Legos, trucks and motor cars. Toys for boys tend to encourage their exploration, manipulation, invention, construction, competition and aggression whereas girls' toys typically rate high on creativity, nurturance, and attractiveness. (Renzetti & Curran, 1998) Moreover, Parents, especially fathers, tend to engage in rougher and more physical play with sons. Moreover, even for story books and cartoons, men are always typically rewarded for being smart and brave heroes like Supermen and Spidermen; Girls are usually princess with good look and being gentle, warm and kind hearted. (Renzetti & Curran, 1998) 1.1.2 Emotional Expression and Altitudes Tthe parents socialize the boys by encouraging them from a very early age to express certain types of emotions but not others, like fearfulness. Research in 1974 and again in 1995 showed that parents, especially fathers, describe newborn girls as softer, finer-featured, smaller, weaker, and more delicate than boys. (Bryant & Check, 2000) In addition, they think that it is natural for boys to be ill-mannered and aggressive. They consider it as â€Å"energetic†. Yet girls have to be polite, gentle and quiet. All these observed behaviors are obviously not because of genetics and are not preceded when they were babies, it is the parents who think their sons should behave in these ways, and therefore they treat them in such a way that elicits these behaviors and altitudes. 1,2 Socialization of School Education Schools reinforce traditional gender roles in many ways. Boys are socialized to be more analytical, critical and scientific-minded. This accounts for the fact that boys dominate in Science subjects like Engineering, Computer Programming and Pure Sciences. Girls are socialized to be good at language, so larger proportion of girls study in Business Administration, Literature and Fine Arts. Concerning other special subjects in secondary schools, Woodwork is only available for boys whereas Home Economics is for girls only. This also creates a gender stereotypes that men must deal with heavy works but women must be learnt to do housework. 1.3 Socialization of Mass Media — Advertisements Advertisements not only sell products, but they also sell gender stereotypes. The models and photos appeared in the advertisements in newspaper and magazines are also carefully chosen to display cultural understandings about differences between male and female (Richardson, 1988): Women are chosen for selling household products and cosmetics while men selling luxurious cars, mobile phones and high technology products. Sometimes, Many advertisements even promote the product being user-friendly by saying that â€Å"Even housewives know how to use it!† They unconsciously convey a message to the public that women are intelligently inferior to men. To conclude, we have been consciously and unconsciously socialized in many aspects in our daily lives. Eventually, men develop masculinity: self reliant, independent, assertive, forceful and analytical; women develop femininity: affectionate, sympathetic, sensitive to other's need, understanding, compassionate, emotional, warm and tender. 2) Social Learning Theory and Gender Role Stereotypes Two theories have been put forward to explain gender socialization as well. They are the Social Learning Theory and the Cognitive Development. 1) Social Learning theory Mischel, Bandura and Walters have developed a theory of learning sexual identity known as Social Learning Theory. It is a behaviorlist theory that relies on reinforcement of the environment of the society and modeling explanations of behavior (Coltrane, 2001). Initially, there are few physiological or behavioral differences between males and females at birth. However, as boys and girls are treated differently and put into different learning environments by their parents, they learn the behaviours of both sexes by means of their observations. They are more likely to imitate the behaviors of his or her own sex. Eventually, they develop different needs, wants, desires, skills and temperaments and eventually give rise to masculine and feminine direction to the emotions and behaviours of men and women. Gender roles are defined â€Å"entirely social created expectation of masculine and feminine behaviour initiated and perpetuated by the institutions and values of a society† (Abbott, 1992), that is, by Socialization. Gender roles usually contain certain general characteristics. These characteristics include: i) The expectation of certain personality traits. ii) Social roles iii) Social positions and occupations In this section, it will focus on how social learning brings out gender difference in social roles and occupations. 2.1 Social learning in Social Roles Due to the traditional family structure which has been deep-rooted in people's mind, men always take up the role of fathers and breadwinners while women are mothers and housewives. As a result, men are socialized to be assertive, independent and strong so that they can be the â€Å"pillar of the family†. On the other hand, women are socialized to be gentle, warm, tender, sensitive and dependent to fulfill her jobs of taking care of their husbands as well as nurturing their children. At the same time, since parents serve as the primary models for their young children, children learn from their parents by seeing what their parents do. Thus, socialization continues to exert its effect through generations. If the mother always does all the cooking, the implication to their children is that this is women's work; if the father is always the one to climb on the roof and repair electrical appliances; children soon learn that this is men's job. (Abbott, 1992) Boys and girls thus imitate their fathers and mothers respectively by acquiring the same kind of skills and developing same personality traits. Research has found out that daughters directly internalize their mothers' attitudes because they perceive these attitudes to be realized in the practice of their mother's daily life. (Carine, 1998). The internalization of altitude of girls is stronger than that of boys as fathers have high chance to go out for work and lowers the chances for their boys to imitate. In addition, parents may consciously or unconsciously have special expectations of their boys and girls and attempt to teach a child appropriate gender role behaviour. Research shows that the more traditional the gender role attitudes of a mother, the stronger her tendency to emphasize a daughter's conformity, and the more traditional her daughter's attitudes appear to be a mother's conformist orientation substantially contributed to the extent in which daughters develop a more traditional view on gender roles. (Carine, 1998) 2,2 Gender Role Stereotypes in Occupation Gender is often attached to different social positions and occupations in several ways. This results in gender inequality in work (Haralambos, 1995): According to the Human Capital Explanation, Women are less committed to paid employment as women are generally not considered as â€Å"human capital3† by most employers. Employers believe that women, who has been socialized to be home-centred, marriage-centred and child-centre, are less committed to their work. Thus, they are often employed in the secondary labour market with lower pay, job security and promotion prospects. On the other hand, there are expected roles of men and women at work. For instance, in cultures of many countries, women are usually considered at jobs as nurses, social workers, flight attendants, domestic workers, etc because these jobs involve nurturing and sensitivity that are associated with femininity. (Abbott, 1992); by coincidence, most of the jobs associated with women rank lower in the society, thus people claim that women are being discriminated by taking up lower levels of the occupational hierarchy. For men, they are usually considered better engineers, politicians, bureaucrats as they are socialized to be more logical, rational, independent and capable. As a result, they are likely to take up professional roles in the society. Needless to say, for jobs that require excellent physical institution, like the Police Force and fire fighters, men always dominate. Women, even with accepted levels of physical institution and qualifications, are less welcomed, because female hav e been portrayed as the weaker sex. 3) Cognitive Development Theory A Cognitive Developmental Theory, advocated by Kohlbery, posits that children learn gender and gender stereotypes through their mental efforts to organize their social world. Kohlbery claimed that men and women are different and these differences constitute a central organizing principle of social life. The process is called gender polarization. The theory also views gender acquisition as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Children are active agents employing cognitive processes in understand the society and the world. Initially children understand their world by sorting objects and people into categories, one of the example is to organize information on the basis of gender categories. Children interpret and learn about gender stereotype and how to â€Å"do gender† in culturally appropriate ways in thinking and behaving. It is because as they gradually grow up, they understand that gender stereotype is central to the way the society is organized. (Coltrane. 2001) At the very early stage, a baby is not concerned with his or her gender identity. As the child gets older, he or she begins to develop an identity for him- or her-self and establishs a personality that reflects their masculinity or femininity. For example, boy and girl babies usually play with each other when they are very young, but they choose to play with other kids of the same sex starting form their Oedipal period (beyond age 3). Also, Boys are raised up by their mothers and they used to be under the clutches of their mothers. However, they want to be with their dad when they gradually grow up. They refuse to go shopping with their mothers anymore because they think that it is not something that a boy should do, according to their understanding about gender stereotype. If they play with children of the opposite sex, they are likely to be teased by their peers; if they act in such ways that do not match with their own sex, like boys wearing dresses and girls being aggressive and fighting with boys, their behavior will be considered as deviance and may even be condemned by the society. To conclude, in order to be considered as competent members of the society, men and must learn how to fit in appropriately as gender individuals. This is how cognitive development brings out gender differences. Criticism of Socialization Socialization is the evil for the rise of gender roles stereotypes, which may cause gender inequalities and many problems in the society. Throughout the history, all human societies have been patriarchies and androcentristic, that is, male are superior to female and male experience is the normative standard (Coltrane, 2001) Girls seem to accept a negative stereotype of their abilities. Research studies showed that even girls get better grades in the college than the boys do, they are less likely to believe that they can be more successful in a career (Abbott, 1992). Job segregation and alienation caused by gender role stereotypes greatly narrow the field of career that each sex can choose. Both men and women may be prevented form choosing certain careers that are considered as not suitable for their sex: Women find it difficult to be fire fighters and join and Police Force. Similarly, men's chances to be secretaries, nurses and flight attendants are much reduced even they are ambitious to do so. Therefore, socialization is to blame for limiting the potential development for both sexes. Regrettably, because of socializa tion, employment somehow counts on sex, but not ability. Men and women have been socialized to perform certain gender specific roles. These roles have been changing in the society at a relatively rapid pace, but the traditional value of gender role stereotypes is changing at the same rate. One vivid example is that women nowadays may earn more than their husbands do and provide for the families whereas men are forced to take up the role of doing housework and rearing children. Thus, negative consequences arise from resistance to these role changes. This imbalance of role and value change has large implications for the future of the stability of the family. The difficulty our society has with accepting these changing roles can cause strain between spouses which can ultimately lead to an increased divorce rate. Worse still, if the accepted traits of stereotypes do not match with a person's real inclination or characteristics, this could causes stress and leads to low self-esteem of both sexes for being unable to live up to an ideal masculinity and femininity. (Reiter, 1980) High degrees of competitiveness may lead to stress and violence in men; passivity and dependence may leave women unable to support themselves in a crisis. In more serious case, the problem can be fatal: Men have long been socialized to be strong and independent. The pressure to conform to traditional roles limits the emotional expression by men and hinders them from seeking assistance even when they encounter high level of psychological stress. This can explain the increased suicidal rate of men in recent decades. Changing Gender Role of Stereotypes However, as mentioned before, socialization occurs in different ways according to the time and the particular culture. When time changes, there are also changes in the forms of socialization. Firstly, there is an obvious change in pattern of the labour force. Women are getting more education and this makes the working opportunities to them more attractive. They can become professional like lawyers, doctors, accountant, engineer, etc. Today, many important government positions and even principal officers in Hong Kong have been taken up by women. For example, the former Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs. Anson Chan, the former Secretary for Security, Mrs. Regina Ip and the Secretary for Justice, Ms. Elsie Leung are influential political figures in the society. Secondly, as women begin to marry later and are more likely to stay in the labour force longer, more employers are more confident and willing to employ female in the primary labour market which gives them higher income and promotion prospects. Lastly, because of the economic downturn, there is an increased participation in the work force. All these train women to be as competitive and capable as men in order to survive. Women are no longer expected to take up occupations at the lower level of the occupational hierarchy. In addition, there is also a slight change in the gender role in the family: Mothers have increasing power in the family, no matter in terms of finance and â€Å"administration†. Fathers are no longer as the only breed winner while mothers also contribute to the finance of the family. Similarly, housework is not considered as women's work anymore, but it is duty shared by both fathers and mothers. Besides, mothers have a say at home on all matters and involves in important decision making. Conclusion: Strike A Good Balance To conclude, many daily examples have proved that socialization is the evil for most cases of gender difference. It portrays the expected image of male and female in one culture and also restrict their thinking, behaviour and lives in a number of ways. As given in the previous paragraph â€Å"Criticism of Socialization†, many problems may arise when stereotypes are seen as ideals for behaviour which makes people follow blindly. It seems that socialization is an inevitable evil deep rooted in our norms and values. Thus, it is important to strike a balance: we can live under the effect of socialization but we should avoid serious gender stereotypes. Only by doing so, we can build up a healthy society where gender differences and inequality can be minimized.